Suicide is painless? in The AnswerBank: Body & Soul

It could be. The problem with discussing suicide is that unless you are feeling suicidal, it is extremely difficult to empathise. When you are feeling secure, generally happy and contended it is easy to say " I would never kill myself because I couldn't do it to my parents/wife/husband/kids etc" just as people often say "if such and such happened, I would kill myself". Until you are in that situation, you have absolutely no idea how you will feel. For some people, suicide is the only option for them. For others, it is the only option at that moment in time, for others it is something they consider and discount. It is never an easy option, and it is certainly never painless, it leaves a difficult legacy behind, but for the individual who choses it, it may be the only thing they have left.

derbyram

Well my initial reaction is no. You will die anyway and once dead you'll be that way forever so why hurry something that, when it's started, will be for eternity. Where there is life there is always hope of change but as a fairly healthy, well-balanced sort of a chap it is easy to come to the above conclusion. If, however, my body was racked with pain that could not be dulled or if I suffered from a depression that would not lift then I cannot honestly say that I would never consider it an option.

WaldoMcFroog

I would hope that in most circumstances, suicide was not the answer. I do however passionately believe that the terminally ill should have the right to end their own lives, and am a supporter of the aims of www.justice4diane.org.uk/ which is named after Diane Pretty, who you may remember tried to get the right to take her own life, and for her husband to assist without being guilty of assisting a suicide. She lost her case, and died shortly afterwards, but the campaign continues to lobby for the rights of terminally ill individuals to end their own lives with dignit, and for other people to assist in this process without being criminalised for being compassionate.

andy hughes

As has happened before in the site, kags has crysta;ised all my thoughts on a Question, and expressed them with an enivable combination of brevity and eloquence. The key word here is 'option', and as kags has pointed out, for some, suicide is the solution to their problem, and the only feasible escape from the pain they are suffereing. A friend of mine once desribed suicide as 'not a case of killing yourself, but killing the pain' and I have never ever heard the tragendy of suicide expressed more simply and effectively than that.

sft42

Been there with the bottle of red and bottle of pills in hand........it's an option and one not that far away from everyone's life....if you think otherwise then consider how you'd get on if your partner came home tonight and told you they were leaving, no reasons given just gone.....or the fact that the average for people in the UK is three lost pay packets away from being homeless.....If it seems like there is no way to end the pain and it won't stop or go away or even just lessen a bit and the ache in your soul just seems like an endless void a deep pit of blackness and longing.....the suicide is an option...Yes.

voodoolou

My ex boyfriend killed himself a year ago. It was painless for him because he jumped 140ft off a viaduct, and that was his answer to whatever he was going through. I can't think of what made him do it, I'm still on antidepressants to cope with it and his parents go to his thousand pound 'shrine' everyday now, with his sister and little brother. It's a answer, but it's a long term answer to a short term problem. I have to say I thought about it, but after going to his funeral and experiencing the aftermath of it, I don't think I could ever do it. You may think there's no other option but I don't think anyone has no one to turn to. He might not have thought it but he had plenty of people, hundreds were at his funeral. It was the saddest day ever, and I'd hate to think that other people have to do it too because people think suicide is the only resort. You should try to see a psychologist or talking to someone. I know it may sound stupid, and embarrassing and awful but that's what I'm doing now and I have to say it makes you feel better.

Janetex

It's most definitely an option; a valid one for physical injury or disability and sometimes unavoidable for someone in despair. Nil desperandum everyone.

Smiley

I have to say that I do not consider it an answer, unless of terminal illness etc. I have a relation who lost his wife, he now lives with his daughter and their family. He has attempted suicide over 10 times. Each time, his daughter or one of their children has found him, either with his wrists cut, an overdose, or in the car with carbon momoxide poisoning. The last time has was very nearly successful, being on a life supportmachine for 2 days. This has made the children live in fear of waking up one day and finding him dead. I believe that the pain a suicidal person is feeling, is as bad, or worse for the people they leave behind after they've done it. Plus there would be the feeling of guilt aswell. I know that the only time I would ever commit suicide, is if my whole family (5 sisters, a brother and parents) were to die altogether before me, like in a car crash. If you have someone who still loves you or depends on you, then you have something to live for.

jenstar

Suicide is *always* an option. It's only bringing forward the inevitable a bit, isn't it?

woofgang

suicide is alway an option....trouble is it is one with no potential to change your mind. I do agree with the view that for some people it is the final decision and only way out. It remains a difficulty for people who cannot achieve it independently. I would not say that the process is ever painless.

jenstar

OK, here's a joined-up-thinking question for those who believe it is better to live with whatever life throws at you than commit suicide. Only a couple of weeks ago we had the 60th anniversary of D-Day, when many people went into battle knowing the dangers, and being *willing* to die in order to repel the Nazi threat. Were they right to do so? Perhaps life in a totalitarian state is bad, but is it bad enough to justify what is effectively suicide?

Ember

Someone once said (sorry cannot remember source) - Suicide is a PERMANENT solution to a TEMPORARY problem

Tha-Flash

I think suicide (because of stress/split up with gf, family problems) is very cowardly because its like saying "I can't deal with this problem, therefore i'm going to kill myself". However, if its like a terminal illness or like that human has no life to live already, why keep them alive? I dont think they would want to be a burden to the rest of ur family.

norfolk boy

To say suicide is cowardly is one of the most dumb things i've heard for a long time.People who are in that situation won't be thinking "i'll have a go at this dying thing".It's to do with an imbalance of chemicals in the brain, brought on by a sense of guilt,loss or dispair.In a sense the person is carrying out self brain washing and convinces themselves that this is the only course of action open to them.For anyone who is thinking this is the only way, should set a date of a week after they anticipate doing the act and they will find maybe things aren't quite so bad after all !!

Betty Rubble

On really bad days, in horrible months of a terrible year, I have sometimes wondered if IT would be easier than this life. And then I always think that I really must find out how the story ends - I am too curious a person not too.

Tat

of course it is an option. i have been there myself on a few occasions (luckily i was unsuccessful because now i am in a better place mentally and physically). but i can say from experience that i would rather be dead than in chronic pain or very disabled. i had an accident last year and am very fortunate not to be paralised from the neck down and if i had to endure the pain (mental and physical) and incapasitation (is that the word!?) i had to put up with for ever i can say for sure i'd rather be dead. however, with most cases of such severe depression it is something you come out of (like i did) so it's really not the best idea...!

LoneSculler

I was surprised to find this thread as I am in the situation where I really don't want to be a human being anymore. I was raped two years ago and then recently was threatened with being made a paraplegic by an ex-boyfriend who used excessive force when I tried to retireve my belongings from his flat, after he abruptly ended our relationship (make love at 2pm in the afternoon and then get told you're a stalker at 9pm the same day....hmmm?). I am now facing court on Tuesday because he took the branding of me as a stalker one step further, after I involved the police in the retreival of my property. If he succeeds in his branding, which is likely because he is [Details removed as per site policy. - AB Editor] and I'm on JSA and have had no legal representation, my life will be hell for a lot longer......so I sort of wonder what's the point? I'm either in the wrong place at the wrong time, or the people I love and trust turn out to be liars and cheats. I am single with no dependants and not a lot really to make me think yep tommorrow things will be better. You can only fight for your right to have a normal life for so long...

AB Editor

If you need to talk to someone, try and find someone who can really
help. It can be a big help to stay anonymous on a site like this, but
nobody here can understand what you are going through in the same way
that a trained person can.

Are you in the UK? Call the
Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit their
website at http://www.samaritans.org.uk/
If you are
in
another country, I hope there is a similar organisation there. Talk to
someone -- and good luck. AB Ed

raven8401

You should never think of taking your life. Try talking to somebody. You were not put on this earth so you could take your life.

merdok

A few years ago I lost my dream job, shortly after that my life started falling apart. This sent me spiraling into a deep depression which has completely altered my character ever since, I've been out of it for well over a year now and I'm still unable to motivate myself and I live on an emotional plateu completely unable to be either excessivly happy or sad. This has put me on a path of self destruction which could very well lead to another depression.

But I wont let it... one day about 2 years ago I was sat in my house (which I'd let fall so far into degredation that my girlfriend wouldnt come round - beleive me when I tell you I stank) and I thought to myself, " how can I possibly get out of this?" I really believed that I'd come to a point in my life where I couldnt get back up again.

I called a taxi and asked them to take me to the humber bridge (a local suicide point), the telephonist said that it would be about 40 mins. During this time I sat on my couch, I couldnt cry because I couldnt feel anything. Then I thought to myself... "Its not possible to get any lower than I am now"

As soon as that awful thought entered my head I rang up and cancelled the taxi. Because if you are at the lowest point you can be... the only way is up.

Now I live with my girlfriend and I have my own print company... life is pretty good (granted I've still got issues) but provided I stay positive I'll steer clear of a 2nd depression and I'll never consider suicide again... because really... your going to die one day anyway, so you might as well try to do something to make your life worthwhile because of it.

Also dont forget, even if your a 50 year old, you still have a lifetime to change your current situation.

Suicide is an option simply because you CAN do it... however you should NEVER take that option.

Remember folks... suicide kills.

Suicide is painless?

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